Cam actuated quick acting bench vise



Jan. 8, 1957 w. J. HAYNES CAM ACTUATED quzcx ACTING BENCH VISE 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 11, 1955 INVENTOR, lfl/lla/w @1165.

Way/gym Jan. 8, 1957 w. HAYNES 2,776,684

CAM ACTUATED QUICK ACTING BENCH VISE Filed May 11, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2I INVENTOR, lax/fie J/V a/mn MJM Avior/7 United States Patent CAMACTUATED QUICK ACTING BENCH VISE William J. Haynes, Bonner Springs,Kans., assignor to Leavenworth Steel, Inc., Kansas City, Kans., acorporation of Kansas Application May 11, 1953, Serial No. 354,238

3 Claims. (Cl. 144-307) This invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in bench vises, and has particular reference to a benchvise wherein the width of a board or other object being clamped iseasily and quickly accommodated by means of an adjustably wedge block.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a bench visehaving an operating lever adapted to cooperate with wedges formed on aclamping plate to bind work in said vise.

Other objects are case and economy of manufacture, efiiciency and speedof operation, and adaptability for use in clamping work within a largerange of widths.

With these objects in view, as well as other objects which will appearin the course of the specification, reference will be had to thedrawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a plan view of a bench vise embodying the present invention,in position on a bench.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the bench vise shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line III-III of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the disassembled wedge and vise bedplate anchored to a bench.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the clamp plate.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the operating lever.

Throughout the several views of the drawing like reference numeralsrefer to similar parts, and the numeral 10 designates a bench having asuitable top member 12 on which is securely fixed the metal vise bedplate 14 by means of screws 16, the forward edge portion of said bedplate being bent downwardly to form an apron 18 secured to the edge ofbench member 12 by means of screws 20. This apron 18 is perforatedcentrally by a square hole 22 to receive the squared shoulder 24 ofwagon bolt 26. The lower corner portions of apron 18 are ofiset to formledges 28, and said apron is offset outwardly intermediate said ledgesat 30 to form a pivotal hearing or fulcrum for the lower edge portion ofthe planar clamping plate 32, which rests on ledges 28. The outer edgesof plate 32 are reinforced by outwardly formed ribs 34 pressed into theplate. A hole 36 is formed through plate 32 adjacent its central portionto receive bolt 26 loosely therethrough. Operating lever 38 isperforated at 40 for positioning on bolt 26, with thumb nut 42 screwedthereon to rest against lever 38. It will be noted that the handleportion 44 of lever 38 is offset outwardly to clear the bench parts 10,also the planar portion 46 of lever 38 is adapted to cooperate withraised, inclined arcuate wedges 58 and 60 of plate 32 to force saidplate inwardly against the work W p0- sitioned against the wedge 48.

Referring to Figs, 1, 3 and 4, it will be noted that rear flange 50 ofthe bed plate is inclined forwardly from the vertical to present anundercut to receive the inclined edge wall 52 of wedge 48 to insure thatthe bottom 54 of said wedge will hug the face of the bed plate at alltimes. The front wall 56 of said wedge is ver- 2,776,684 Patented Jan.8, 1957 tical and disposed at a right angle to bed plate 14, andparallel to apron 18. The inclined wedges 58 and 60 are pressed into theface of clamping plate 32 adjacent hole 36 in diametrically opposedrelation so that as operating lever 38 is rotated anti-clockwise it willride on wedges 58 and 60 to force said clamping plate against the work Wto clamp it in the vise. The operator, by adjusting thumb nut 42 caneasily regulate the clamping position of lever 38 to a convenient angle.It will be noted that the work as shown in Fig. 3 extends forwardly ofapron 18 so that the clamping plate 32 will be substantially parallelwith said apron when in the clamping position as shown.

When it is desired to use the vise the work may be positioned againstplate 32, then wedge 48 is moved to a snug position against the work.Now nut 42 may be adjusted to properly adjust the operating leverrelative to wedges 58 and 60. As the lever is rotated anti-clockwise itwill tighten plate 32 against the work to secure the same tightly in thevise. The work is shown extending above the clamping means so that itsextending edge may be planed or otherwise worked on without anyinterference from the vise parts.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention,it is apparent that many minor modifications of structure and operationcould be made without departing from the spirit of the invention asdefined by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A bench vise comprising a bed plate adapted to be rigidly secured tothe top of a bench and having an apron depending at the front of saidbench and an upturned flange at the rearward edge thereof, a clampingplate mounted on said apron for movement relative thereto, a wedge blockmounted on said bed plate for adjustment whereby the forward facethereof is moved toward and from said clamping plate, and a camoperating means carried by said apron and operable to adjust saidclamping plate relative to said apron, to move it against work mountedin said vise between said wedge and said clamping plate, whereby saidwork is securely held.

2. A bench vise comprising a formed bed plate adapted to be rigidlysecured to the top of a bench and having a depending apron at the frontof said bench and an upturned forwardly inclined flange at the rearthereof, said rear flange being disposed longitudinally at an angle tosaid apron, a wedge shaped block mounted on said bench plate to fitsnugly along said flange with its forward edge disposed in substantiallyparallel relation with said apron, a clamping plate mounted on saidapron for movement relative thereto to engage and clamp work positionedin said vise between said block and said clamping plate, and anoperating lever pivotally carried by said apron to engage wedges formedin said clamping plate and operable to bind the work in said vise.

3. A bench vise comprising a planar bed plate adapted to be securedrigidly to a horizontal surface of a bench, said bed plate having adepending planar apron secured thereto along the forward edge thereofand at right angles thereto and an upstanding forwardly inclined flangesecured thereto along the rearward edge thereof, said rear flange alsobeing inclined relative to said apron in a plane parallel to said bedplate, a wedge block carried slidably on said bed plate, said blockhaving a rear face inclined to lie in planar contact with said rearflange as the forward face thereof is parallel to said apron, said apronhaving supporting ledges formed at the lower edge thereof and ahorizontal, forwardly extending fulcrum formed intermediate said ledges,a bolt secured centrally in said apron and extending forwardlytherefrom, a generally planar clamping plate disposed substantiallyparallelsto said apron, being supported at its lower edge on said ledgesand extending above said bed plate, said clamping plate bearing againstsaid fulcrum and being perforated whereby to receive said bolt loosely,said clamping plate having a forwardly inclined arcuate wedge formed onthe forward surface thereof concentrically with said bolt, and a levercarried r0tatably on the forwardly extending end of said bolt andoperable when turned to engage said wedges to pivot said clamping platerearwardly.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Moore et a1. Aug. 9, 1898 Mackay Aug. 5, 1913Lawson Oct. 31, 1916 Cowles J an. 24, 1922 Sutton Nov. 18, 1941 FOREIGNPATENTS Italy Dec. 18, 1946

